Mean for steering boats.



W. S. EKLUND.

MEANS FOR STEERING BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1911.

25.. v Patented Feb.26,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

LQMV,

W. S. EKLUND.

MEANS FOR STEERING BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1917'- Patented Feb. 26, 1918..

2 SHEETSSHEET 2. 0

wanrnrns. EKLUND, or noNNEn, Louisiana.

mamas;

MEANS ronsrnnnrne soars.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented reuse, rare,

Application filed May 29, 1917. Serial No. 171,721.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALFRID S. EKLUND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Donner, in the parish of Terrebonne and State of Louisiana,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for SteeringBoats; and I do hereby declare the following to'be a full, clear, andexact'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to means for steering boats and has for one ofits objects the provision of a device of this character, which may bereadily applied to the bow of a boat, and which will cooperate with theordinary rudder on the stern thereof to permit of turning the boatinasmallspace and whereby the boat may be quickly turned from a straightcourse or run in a zigzag path providing means especially adapted forcombating submarine boats.

Another object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary ruddermounted on the.

bow of the boat and adapted to be actuated by a fluid pressure means andwhich cooperates with the ordinary rudder on the stern in steering theboat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pair of cylindershaving pistons therein, which are connected to the auxiliary rudder andare alternately actuated by fluid pressure to turn or move said rudderin either direction.- V

A still further object of this invention is the provision of means for'steering boats of the above stated character, which shall be simple,durable and eflicient, and which may bemanufactured and sold at acomparatively low cost. a b I With theseand. other objects in view aswill become more apparent as the description proceeds, the inventionconsistsin certain novel features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed. a v b For a complete understanding of my invention, referenceis to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 1s a plan view partly in section of a means for steering boatsconstructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a plan view of anindicator, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a four-way valve applied forcontrolling the fluid pressure to the cylinders of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a frame,which may be of any desired shape or configuration, but preferably ofthe shape as shown in Fig. 1

having a reduced end 2 and an enlarged end 3. The reduced end 2 of theframe 1 is bifurcated to form a pair of relatively spaced arms 4, inwhich are formed hearing openings to receive the .post 5 of a rudder 6,the post 5 being held within the hearing openings of the bifurcated arms4 of the frame by a nut 7 or other suitable fastener. The frame 1 issecured to the bow of a boat 8 as shown in Fig. 1, so that the post 5 isdisposed vertically and is forward of the stem.

,The enlarged end 3 of the framel is bifurcated to receive. a doublesegmental drum 9, which is journaled on a shaft 10 vcarried by theenlarged end 8 of the frame. A driven drum 11 is secured to .the post 5ears 16 are carried by the driven drum l1 and have connected thereto, aclamping member 17 by bolts 18, which engages and forces theconvolutions of the cable 12 into a groove 19 in the driven drum 11,thus preventing the cable 12 from slipping upon said driven drum. p

The frame 1 is provided with a downwardly offset portion 20 havingsecured therein, cylinders 21 and 22 by fasteners 28. Pistons 2 1 areslidably mounted within the cylinders and are connected to oppositelydisposed arms25 of the segmental drum 9 as shown at 26 by connectingrods 27. The

pistons are adapted; to be alternately actuated within the cylinders byfluid pressure means, which will be hereinaftermore fully" described'for moving or turning the seg- V-mental drum 9 ineither"direction,whichv 'will causethe driverr'drum 1l"to"turi 1"ineither direction, moving the rudder 6- 1n correspending direction tofacilitate the steeringo-fthejboatfibythe bow and whichis adapted tocooperate'wit'h an ordinary rudder, (not shown) placed"upon thestern or,the boat, wherebya steeringmechanism ingmembers- 31 that aresecuredto-th'e-bow is"p rovi ded' forthe boat, whichwill "cause" a I said boatto befv'er'y'sensitweto the-steeringpower-thereof.

a Therudder 6 isgprovided with the usual reinforcing plates" 29, whichare apertured to receive the loopedportions ,30 of fastenof' the boatby'fasteners 32. The-flooped portions extend around the stem 5 within"the" rei'nforcingmemb'ers 29 1 as clearly S awn iniFig: 2.

upper end: p i g" handle 39; The

1 plug '38is held in tight engagement. with the walls ofthe' body ofvthe valve 33 'by an ,ordinar s rin 40; The plug 38 "is pro-- 43-isconnected to the p'ort"37 d o j interiorof the cylinders 21. A similarpipe A l is connected to the port 35 and to-the interior of the cylinder22; A supply pipe 45V isco'nnectdftothe-P011534 and to an ordinaryhydraulic pump, (not shown) ,1 for forcingfiuid' pressureflinto the.valve 4t)" Anoutletpipe 46'is connected to the port 36"and to "areservoir, (not shown), that is 7 associated with thehydrauli'c pumpwhere by; the used fluid pressure may be; again' forced through. thevalve, I

Infop'eration, 'whenfit is desired to steer the boat tothe left, the"handle 39 is turned so'that the passage; 41 communicates 1 with theports and 35," permitting the fluid Q. pressureto pass through saidports into the pipejta'andthen into the cylinder 22I'forcingthe "pistonstherein outwardly, turning the segmental drum 9, which through the 7cable 12,;turns' the driven'drum 11 secured to the stem 5"of the rudder,turning the 37,"whi ch' permits thefluid pressurekto enter the pip'e4:3. 21I d-to the cylinder 21",and

forces the piston therein outwardly which 7 A fo'ur-waywalve 33 consists*-of arflbody portionchavin'g ports 34', 35, 36 and 37 Anordinary plug 38 is located within the body" ofjthevalve 33 and has"connected to its turns-the segmental drum 9 in an opposite direction,moving the driven drum 1 in a'corresponding direction from the cable 12,which moves the rudder 6 to the right, thus steeringiheboatto the right.When the passage'ai' con'm'iunicat'es with the ports 34 ands35,the'passage l2 communicates with The valve 33 'is mounted within thepilot house'of the boat along with ordinary steeringmechanism-nowemployed for operating the-rudder upon the stern of theboat. A plate 47 having a'scale thereon is secured within the "pilothouse along with the valve 33and has mountedthereon, an indicating arrowl8 to which is" connected upon one side thereof, a 0011911 spring 49;The spring 49;has-its,other end connected to the plate 4i7=as-showir at50. A cable-"51 is-connccted to'the' indicating 1a110W48 and to the arnr14:, whereby a persofibperat-ing the device may readily determinevby theindicating hand upon the'scale justwhat position the rudder 6isoccupying;

While I have shown and described I the preferred vembodiment of'myinvention, it

will be unders'toodr that minor changes in construction, a combinationand arrangement offpartsfniaybe made without departing from the-spiritand scope of the invention asclaimed.

Havingthus described my invention, what lclaim is? 1. .A means forsteering a'boat comprisingja frame secured to-the bow ofthe-boat, arudder carricd by said frame, adriven drum secured-tosaid rudder, adrive drum journaled to saidframe, means for connecting thedrum's, andhydraulic means for operating the drive drum for steering'the rudder ineither direction. I i p 2.' A" means for steering a boat comprising aframe secured to the bow of the boat, a'rudder carried by said frame,a'drum carried by said rudder, a double' segmental drum carried by. saidframe, a cable connecting. said drums, means for adjusting thetension"ofsai'd cable, means for turning the segmental drum in'ei'ther'direction to turntherudder in "a corresponding direction.

3; A meansfor steeringa boat comprising a frame secured to the bow ofthe boat, a rudderjournaledto said frame, a drive drum journaled to saidframe, means for connecting the drum to the rudder, cylinders carried bysaid frame, pistons in said'cylindersand' "connected to the drum,

and means for admitting fluid pressure to the cylinders for turning thedrum in either direction to move the rudder in a correspondingdirection. 7

4. A means for steering a boat comprising a frame securedto the bow ofthe boat, a rudder carried by said frame, a drum carried by said rudder,a double segmental drum carried by the frame, a cable connectingsaid'drums, means for securing the cable upon the first mentioned drum,and hydraulic means for turning the double segmental drum in eitherdirection to turn the rudder in a corresponding direction.

5. A means for steering a boat comprisand connected to the drum, pipesconnected to said cylinders, a four-Way valve connected to said pipes,and adapted to admit an exhaust fluid pressure to the cylinders foractuating the rudder.

6. A steering device comprising a frame secured to the bow of a boat, adrum journaled t0 eachend of said frame, a rudder connected to one ofsaid drums, means connecting the drums together, and hydraulic meanscarried by the frame and operatively connected With one of the drums toturn the rudder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses-WALFRID S. EKLUND.

Copies of thtspatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Eommissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

